Vehicle manufacturers and others develop and implement subsystems having control panels accessible by one or more persons in the vehicle to control various features of the subsystems. Examples of subsystems include on-board navigation systems, wireless communication services, infotainment centers, and climate/HVAC controls. Wireless communication services for mobile vehicles, such as navigation and roadside assistance, have increased rapidly in recent years. Most of the services that have been offered are for a mobile vehicle in operation, wherein an occupant of the vehicle seeks to utilize the communication service.
Access to specific features of on-vehicle wireless communication devices, e.g., navigation and other complex infotainment/telematics features, may be disabled during specific vehicle operations because of potential for vehicle driver distraction. These features are disabled for the driver and, consequently, are also disabled for a passenger. Alternatively, or in addition, some features have redundant controls for separate interactions by the driver or any passengers. Disabling access to specific features and providing redundant controls reduces the usefulness, utilization, and therefore the attractiveness of such devices in a vehicle. Climate/HVAC controls can include multiple climate control panels to permit localized control of temperature to each occupant. Adding additional control panels in the vehicle increases cost and complexity in the vehicle, including costs for the control devices and wiring harnesses, reducing availability of the feature.
Therefore there is a need for an in-vehicle control panel system which addresses the aforementioned issues.